May 16, 2012

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

My inspiration for this recipe came from wanting to do a healthier remake of the classic comfort dish Broccoli Rice Casserole. This recipe leaves out the butter, cans of condensed soup, and uses quinoa instead of rice. Even though it's inspired by broccoli rice casserole, it's not your typical ooey-gooey casserole. We love it just the way it is, but adding 1-2 beaten eggs to the mix before baking will help achieve a little bit more of a typical casserole consistency if that's what you prefer.

Directions
Rinse quinoa well. Cook in 3 cups boiling, salted water for 15-20 minutes, or according to package directions.
Meanwhile, dice onion and mushrooms, mince garlic, and chop broccoli florets.
Preheat oven to 375.
Saute onion and mushrooms with salt over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes or until slightly softened. Remove any extra liquid from the mushrooms.
Steam broccoli for 2-3 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with the hot quinoa. Mix well.
Add to a lightly sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Spread out mixture evenly and lightly press down. Sprinkle additional cheddar cheese on top.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes.

{Freezing instructions}
You can freeze this before or after baking. If freezing after baking, let it cool completely before freezing.
Place in a freezer safe and oven safe container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then foil.
Before serving, it's best to thaw casserole in the refrigerator overnight if possible. If not, be sure to leave extra time for baking.
Heat in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until center is hot. Add additional time if casserole isn't thawed completely before baking, checking every 10-15 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with foil and continue baking until heated through.

Tip: you can also freeze smaller portions in individual containers to reheat a single serving or a couple servings at a time.

Hi there! You could just leave out the mushrooms altogether without a replacement. They aren't a necessary component to this dish. I had some in my fridge at the time and decided to toss 'em in at the last minute :)

Oh my gosh, that sounds AMAZING! I love that you used more veggies and added feta. I can never get enough feta! Thanks so much for letting me know, I will have to try your variation next time - so excited! :)

This sounds great I'm making a list of things I need to buy. I am trying to eat healthier and have started incorporating quinoa into my diet, I just don't know what on earth to do with it other than mix it with my brown rice. Thanks Can't wait to try this and your other quinoa recipes.

I made this recipe this weekend & loved it! I didnt pay attention, & boiled the quinoa in more than 3 cups of water. I drained the excess, but my quinoa was still fairly saturated with water. The result was incredibly creamy, more like the traditional rice casserole, but so much healthier. Thank you for this recipe!

Hey Meggin! AH that's awesome!! Don't you love when little cooking "mishaps" turn it into something better? I'm totally going to do that with the quinoa next time I make this! Thanks for leaving the message :)

Made this tonight and LOVED it! I forgot to put the egg in and it turned out fine! I try to avoid white rice and the brown takes so much longer to cook that I usually don't use it. This was great, even my picky eater kids liked it! Thanks!

I'm having this tonight - very excited to try out a new quinoa recipe! Question for you: where does the 1 tsp. of paprika come in? I reread the recipe and couldn't find what to do with it, so I finally mixed it with the eggs, which I then mixed with the rest of the dish. Thanks!

Hi Katherine! The paprika was meant to be added during the step "In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with the hot quinoa." Though I can see how it's a bit odd since I didn't mention it before then - sorry for the confusion! :) What you did was perfect! Hope you enjoyed it last night!!

I was looking for a quinoa recipe using stuff I had. I didn't have mushrooms so left them out. I used Gouda in it and Parmesan on top cause it's what I had. I added red pepper flakes for spice. It was great. I think it can work with most cheeses.